Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-03-05

ing down stream. Was this the Merrimaci
The little Acct came steaming down the river
and out into the roads. Quickly the Mime
sofa and tho Roanoke made ready TO meet
the newcomers The queer craft was the
Meraimac at last The Roanoke had broken
shaft She had 10 be towed out into the
waEer by tugs
IL does not take long 10 tell the story OF
what followed The Minnesota grounded
out OF range of the Virginia, and could not
be got off. 1t was ebb tide. Presently the
Roanoke grounded at. the stern. The United
States navy was not worth much more then
than it is now.
The Congress and Cumberland were an
chored nearest to the coming monitor as she
steamed out Of Elizabeth river.
There was some exchange of shots as the
Merrimac came booming ON One shot from
her disabled several gunners on the Cumber-
land. The Cumberland was swung broadside
across the channel The Merrimac went OF
her straight as an arrow and rammed her
iron beak into the Cumberland's side. a
great opening was made and water poured in
n torrent into the Cumberland. Then the
Merrimac opened fire. Every shot hit the
mark, and the decks of the wooden ship were
soon covered with dead and injured In
three-quarters of an hour the MORALLY hurt
ship went down in fifty-four feet of water,
carrying dead. dying and wounded with her.
Some were picked up in boats from the shore
and IA few swan TO land. The Cum
berland's topmast showed above wa
ter, with her flag still flying. IL was
the turn of the Congress next. The
two companion gunboats Of the Merrimac
had attacked her. Seeing the fate of the
Cumberland, Lieut.. Pendergast, commander
of.the Congress, ran her aground by means
OF tugs, in order to prevent the Merrimac
from sinking her. The Merrimac, after sink
ing the Cumberland began pouring shot into
the Congress. The aim of the Confederates
was marvelously accurate. The firing from
the Congress had no effect on the Merrimac':
sloping iron sides.
At 4:30 Lieut. Pendergast, seeing all was
over, hauled down the stars and stripes, and
ran up white flag in token of surrender
The Confederates sent tug to take forma
possession.
But the Congress was under shelter of thG
Union batteries at Newport News, and they
opened fire anddlove the tug off. 1t is sale
they didnot see the white flag. Then the
Merrimac poured red hot shot into tho pool
old ship again. Presently she left her anC
| bore down upon the Minnesota.
| In this interval, the crew Of the Congress
what there were left of them, escaped tx
shore inthe boats Next morning, Of the 49,
brave men and true who had composed he
crew, only half answered to their names a
roll call. The rest were killed, wounded anC
missing.
There had come into Hampton Roads OIL
Friday, March 6, the naval ship st. Law
renee, a sailer. Seeing how the battle YVES GO
ing, she had herself towed toward th
grounded Minnesota, and presently she her
self grounded Together the two helples
vessels waited the onslaught Of the irol
beaked monster There seems to hay
been inexplicable ignorance of the channel
on the part of the Federal pilots. The Roa
noke, the Minnesota and the st. Lawrenc
all ran aground.
The st. Lawrence fired broadside at th
Merrimac, which did not the slightest harm
The Merrimac fired one single shell at the 81
Lawrence. 1t went through the wooden shi
like bolt of lightning Then the st. Law
renee. hors du combat, stole off like
whipped animal up toward Fortress Monro,
1t was getting dark. The ram and her a
tendant gunboats drew off from the fight an
steamed to Sewell's point, where the
anchored. Thelhot shot the ram had throw
last into the Congress had been for the pu
pose of setting fire to her. This object VIZ
accomplished. The battered ship burned I
the waters edge. About midnight the fir
reached her powder magazine, when 81
blew up with tremendous roar, and thu
was the end of the Congress.
"Harper's Pictorial Hstory"says of the Me
rimac: "No vessel that ever floated had eve
done so great work in single half da,